Hoi hoi Eric. At the moment we’re spreading the "Omnipotent" demo ‘round like a curse, and it seems that some have been cursed. We’re working on new stuff, three songs of which will be released as a 7EP through Iron Bonehead Prod. in Berlin. And as ever, trying to get other people to join us.
Let's start the interview with a short
biography, give us details how the band was created and what's the background
of members ?
I basically had a few songs I wanted to record, and though they turned
out different than what I’d expected, I thought they’d be
worth pressing as a demo, hence "Proselytiser". A bloke called
Luke helped on the skins – but AC came along to crush the kit full
time and we recorded "Omnipotent".
Were the members involved in other
bands previously ? I saw that Berserker was part of Deströyer 666,
how does it happen ?
AC and myself played in a ‘band’ quite
a long time ago, but nothing really worth mentioning. I joined D666 in
2000 ‘cos they needed a bass player and left in 2002. The gods of
procrastination guided me for a few years until I was forsaken and decided
to do ASSAULTER.
ASSAULTER is the perfect band name
for a Thrash Metal combo, it fucking smells like old school Thrash from
the 80's, I guess that's the reason you chose such a word ? Furthermore
I found the shark drawing very eighties too, you know when Jaws movies
was out and so on… Did you experience any shark meeting in the ocean
by the way ?
Well, I’m a big Thrash fan, always have been, but I didn’t
choose the name specifically for that reason. In a sea of names like Xhabbaqoth
and Kitchen Floor Shit and other such rubbish, I wanted a straight forward
name with varied interpretation. It is the Proselytiser, it is the alien
God, it is the Iron Fist that grips tighter than the previous, it is the
precursor to a new dawn. So, you get me drift.
The assailant shark symbol IS the symbol for ASSAULTER, but I can’t
see what’s 80’s about it – and yes, I’ve come
across ONE shark before.
Could you speak a bit about your previous
3 track demo "Proselytiser" ? How was it recorded and how does
it sound ? Is it good material to bang head and what is the meaning of
the cover ?
It’s slower, more mid paced. A good sound, maybe a little TOO good,
if you get my drift. I will hopefully rerecord the last song "Between
Gods & Men"’ further down the track. The cover is simply
representing The Proselytiser, an enemy with the face of death on a crusade
to heave the foundations of which you live.
According to me you definitely released
something of quality with "Omnipotent" demo CD combining some
of the Aussy Black/Death Metal scene from Gospel Of The Horns, Atomizer
with the 80s Thrash Metal ideas but what is your regard now of "Omnipotent"
demo CD ? How does it come you didn't release it on tape format ? Do you
think that tapes are dead and buried now ?
Well, simply, more people have CD players, less still have tape players.
We couldn’t afford to press it on both formats, so CD was the logical
option. I’ve had a few people have a bit of a whinge about it, but
fuck, just play the CD – is it because ‘demos were always
on tape in the late 80’s early 90’s, and that’s more
true and blah, blah, blah’? Shove that pretentious shite up thy
anus.
About the recording, it is a demo, so we’re fairly happy with it,
but look to the future……
I'd like
you to explain a bit the content of your lyrics. I feel like that you're
very concerned with strong lyrics according to title songs such as "The
Great Subterfuge" or even "Proselytiser"…
The main theme so far is the idea of ABSOLUTE power – whether it
one man playing god, a party peddling the idea of a god, power through
propaganda and force, and the idea of a god infecting and ‘liberating’
and a down trodden mass. Then it comes to the fine line between Man and
God – because really, there is no difference.
Er, kind of. I’m quite picky with my music, even though Thrash is my favourite ‘style’ so if I do pick up an LP and give it a spin and it doesn’t do much for me, then I’ll fuck it off – but I get what you’re saying. I guess the last LPs I got from that era was ‘Spectrum of Death’ by Morbid Saint about 2 years ago, and 2 Aria LPs about 8 months ago. Lately I’ve just been getting the latest stuff by Celtic Frost, Blind Guardian, Nifelheim etc. as well as listening to shit like Turbonegro and Dropkick Murphys.
Something
that has really nothing to do with Metal, but I feel like Australian people
are very protective with nature and their wild animals. You have such
fucking funny and cute animals over there such as Devils of Tasmania from
Tasmania, kangaroos, crocodiles and so on. Is there right and how do you
see you continent ? By the way, is there any aborigines in brush these
days ?
Eh, there are quite a few national parks, but that’s more a product
of political motivation of the parties as opposed to a social embrace.
There are a lot of people, myself included, that would stand behind this,
but there are a lot who don’t give a fuck either. The continent
is huge considering how populated it is, so I guess it would give this
‘Environmental Utopia’ impression to people overseas –
but the fact is, you just can’t live in a lot of the area.
You might find an aboriginal sitting in a dried up creek bed in the middle
of nowhere if you could be bothered, but really, who could ?
Well, the last band I heard that I liked from France was Arkhon Infaustus, but that was a while ago, haven’t heard them since, I think "Hell Injection".
Furthermore,
France had an excellent Heavy Metal scene back in the early 80's with
bands such as Sortilege, H-Bomb, Satan Jokers and so on, were you into
these releases and how did you see these bands back then ? Did you like
their way of singing in French ?
Never heard any of them, know the names, but that’s the best I can
do.
You know as much as me, and we probably know as much as the band themselves. Hopefully something eventuates.
I guess that you sent your demo to
many labels, how is the fed back up to now and is there a label interested
to sign you for a full-length record ? What would be your dream with ASSAULTER
?
Nah, no offer to do a record yet – we’ll see. Dream? Well,
first things first, do an album, and then hit the live assault –
and curse as many people who a blinded by faith as possible.
Aye, we’ll play live, but as a 4 piece. Just have to get the heads together, and where we live is as un-Metal as it gets, so………….
Freak? No, I’ll buy either format, but I do prefer vinyl. But you only get the better sound quality from the old analogue LPs, so any newer shit is more force of habit for me.
When I was young, you could really only buy tape or LP, and CDs, if available, weren’t comparatively cheap, so I didn’t buy CDs for a while. Also, when CDs eventually kicked in people would sell off there LPs. So, as a student, with hardly any cash, I’d hunt through Sydney and pick up LPs for about $3 each. So, that’s why I’d do it – the economical option. I would kill to save any of them, but especially ones that aren’t easy to replace, like "The Magus" or "Total Armageddon" or "De Mysteriis…" or "Ritual" or "Nifelheim" or "Unchain The Wolves"…. You get the picture.
Thanks a lot for your answers, close
this interview giving us the merchandising available for ASSAULTER's fans…
Fucking hail Eric for giving ASSAULTER the time to answer your questions
– it’s been an honour.
EVERYONE buy the demo - $7 – and keep it ‘eavy………
Franang zine 04/02/07